Making Friends and Meeting Harpies
by SiriusMarauderFan
Summary: Ginny doesn't think there's anything better than Quidditch, and it's not every day she finds someoe that agrees with her. one shot.


**Author's Note:** Much thanks to Sable Supernova for giving my spectacular prompts for this! :D

Written for…

What If Competition. _Scenario:_ Ginny and Blaise were penpals

AU Battle Competition. _Prompts:_ Penpal!AU, cerulean

**Making Friends and Meeting Harpies**

Ginny lay sprawled out in the back garden and stared at the sky, just as she'd been doing for the past three weeks since her birthday. Her parents had scraped together enough money to buy her a subscription to _Junior Snitch_ _Magazine_, and it had yet to come in.

"Mum says she wants your help in the kitchen," Ron said, lying down beside her.

The nine-year-old sighed and sat up, only to be pulled back down on the grass by her brother. He pointed at a little spec in the sky.

"That's not Errol, is it?" he asked.

Ginny squinted at the dot. "I don't think so…" There were only a handful of wizards in their area and they were far enough away that any owl close enough to be seen from the Burrow had to be for them. She squealed, jumping up and down. "My magazine's here!"

Molly came bustling out the back down as the owl drew close enough to see properly.

"It might be a letter from your brothers, dear."

"They've been gone for three days. And Bill hardly ever writes," Ginny said with an eye roll.

The owl landed gracefully on a perch and released a rolled-up magazine from its talons. Molly fished a knut out of her apron pocket while Ginny rushed forward to snatch the magazine.

She ran all the way up to her bedroom and locked the door, flopping onto her bed. She examined the magazine with wide eyes, taking in Gwenog Jones on the cover in her green and gold Holyhead Harpies uniform. She flipped through quickly in search of Gwenog's article, stopping when an ad caught her eye.

_WIN A FREE TRIP TO THE QUIDDITCH MUSEUM  
AND GET TO MEET WORLD CUP WINNERS, HOLYHEAD HARPIES._

Ginny scrambled up from the bed and rummaged through her desk drawer until she came across an unopened pack of stationary that her grandmother had bought her years ago.

She quickly scribbled her name and address on the paper and called Errol to her window to take send in her entry.

:-:

The results came in just before the boys came home for Christmas break.

The editor of _Junior Snitch_ and an official from the Department of Magical Games and Sports showed up on their doorstep and announced Ginny as one of the winners of the prize pack. She got her picture in the next issue and a set of quality Quidditch robes to match her favorite team – the Harpies, of course.

The museum trip took place on the first Saturday of the new year. She was allowed to take a friend and enjoyed two weeks of having four of her brothers vying for her favor before she chose to take Ron.

The museum itself was very interesting, but along the way Ginny found herself becoming more curious about Blaise Zabini, the other contest winner. He was there with his mother, who seemed thoroughly disinterested in anything to do with Quidditch and flirted endlessly with their tour guide. He hadn't brought a friend, and Ginny felt bad for him every time Ron nudged her to bring her attention to another piece of memorabilia.

After the tour, Ginny and Blaise sat through a short photo shoot together for the magazine, and then there was a lunch break before they would meet with the Harpies.

The Weasleys and Zabinis sat at a single table, but Ginny made sure to sit closer to Blaise than her father and brother, silently watching him sip at his pumpkin juice before she thought up something to say.

"I hear they don't even make pumpkin juice with pumpkins," she said just loud enough for him to hear.

Blaise choked on his juice.

"_What?_" He stared at her incredulously. She smiled. "Who told you that?"

"My brothers." It was Fred and George, and she knew they were probably lying, but at least she'd gotten Zabini to say something.

"I'm … not sure that's true," he said gently. She shrugged in response.

"So how come you didn't bring anyone today?" she asked.

"I don't really have any friends that are into Quidditch. Even my brother and sisters weren't interested."

"You have a lot of siblings?"

"Three." The way he said it made it seem like he thought it was a lot.

"I have six brothers," she bragged. His eyes bugged out and it made her laugh.

"You've got a whole Quidditch team in your house!"

"Yeah, but most of 'em are gone at school most of the time. And they don't let me play with 'em anyway, because I'm a girl."

"That's stupid. The Harpies are an all-girl team and they've won the World Cup a bunch of times."

This boy was quickly becoming her favorite person ever. "I know, that's why I like them. Gwenog Jones is awesome!"

The team did not disappoint. The posed for pictures with the families and signed autographs, and answered all of Ginny's questions on how to get better. Blaise stayed relatively quiet throughout the whole thing, only speaking up long enough to ask for the team Keeper to sign his jersey.

When it was time to leave, long after the team had gone, and the lady from Junior Snitches was loading up Ginny's dad and Mrs. Zabini with all sorts of goodies for the kids, she snuck over to Blaise.

"It was nice meeting you," she said, giving him her best smile.

"You too." He handed her a slip of parchment with his name and address written on it. "Write to me sometime? It'd be nice to have a friend who's into all this stuff too."

"Sure!" She snatched the note and quickly hugged him before her father called her to leave.

:-:

Ginny bounced excitedly on the train bench, straining her eyes to see anything outside the darkened window. She was alone in the compartment, despite her mum asking the boys to sit with her for her first ride. She hadn't seen Ron or Harry for the entire trip.

She carefully unclenched her hands, which for the last half hour had been wrapped tightly around a piece of cerulean parchment with faded handwriting: Blaise's first letter to her, nearly two years old. Ginny had read it more times than she could count, but she did it again as the train pulled into Hogsmeade station.

Blaise was easily her best friend now, even though they'd only met in person once. They'd planned and plotted various attempts at getting together ever since, but nothing ever came of it. They were satisfied writing to each other and waiting until Ginny attended Hogwarts to finally get together. She was pretty sure Ron was even happier about their meeting, as it meant he wouldn't have to carry bags full of presents back and forth between home and school anymore.

:-:

There was no time on Ginny's first night to meet with Blaise. Their tables were on opposite ends of the Great Hall and Percy ushered all the first-years up to the tower right after dinner, so she vowed to corner the Slytherin the next morning.

She waited in the hall after breakfast, waiting for Blaise to come by. She had his letter in her robe pocket because she'd gotten so used to carrying it around, and she was worried about her roommates finding it.

"It's about time!" She startled him as he walked past without seeing her hidden in an alcove. He turned to glare but his expression softened when he saw her. "What's a matter, not happy to see me?"

"Just surprised a _Gryffindor_ is talking to me," he said with a smirk. They'd known for ages they weren't going to be in the same house.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I'll just head to class now…" She turned around but felt Blaise grab her hand, pulling her into a hug. She giggled into his shoulder.

"You're a bit like the Giant Squid, you know. All mysterious and lonely, but you'll let strangers come up and tickle you if you're in the right mood."

He shoved her away playfully but his laughter only fueled hers on more until the pair was earning concerned glances from the students walking by.


End file.
